Lyrically, the song utilizes classic holiday tropes to emphasize a painful void. The lyrics depict a series of traditional actions—hanging mistletoe, leaving cookies by the chimney, and wrapping presents—that feel hollow in the absence of a loved one.
In the vast landscape of holiday music, where tinsel-wrapped bops often drown out quiet reflection, Mandy Moore’s 2020 single, "How Could This Be Christmas?" , serves as a poignant exploration of seasonal grief. Co-written with her husband, Taylor Goldsmith of the band Dawes, and producer Mike Viola, the track arrived during a global pandemic when "something missing" was a near-universal sentiment. Far from a traditional festive anthem, this "tender, country-tinged tune" functions as a modern entry into the "blue Christmas" canon, validating the loneliness that often hides behind the twinkling lights. The Context of Loss Mandy Moore How Could This Be Christmas mp3
The song was released on November 12, 2020 , as part of a two-track single that starkly contrasted the "buoyant classic" "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" with this wistful original. Moore noted that she challenged herself to write a song acknowledging an absence without being "too specific," allowing the lyrics to resonate with anyone experiencing loss—whether through distance, death, or the fractured normalcy of 2020. Lyrical Symbolism and Melancholy Lyrically, the song utilizes classic holiday tropes to